Ciaran Toner captained a Rochdale side that consisted of a few first team players, a few more fringe players and a couple of trialists too during Yesterday's 2-0 to Northwich Victoria at the Marston Arena. Full match report, which is sponsored by message board user Josh, online now.

Northwich Victoria put in an impressive pre-season performance against a Dale side consisting of a few first team players, a few more fringe players as well as a couple of trialists in the form of former Bury FC goalkeeper Aaron Grundy and ex Swindon Town left back, Andy Nicholas. 

Dale lined up with the likes of Ramsden, D’Laryea and Higginbotham starting as well as another new face from the YTS in the form of Dave Doherty starting on the left wing. 

But Dale struggled to make any real impact during the start of the game with Northwich coming close through striker Darryn Stamp who had beat everyone to loop a header over Grundy and into the Dale net, only to be ruled offside. 

Northwich came close again when ex Dale trialist Jamie Mullan found time and room to attempt a curling shot, but it were wide of Grundy’s right post. 

They continued to put pressure on Dale’s defence with Northwich hitting the cross bar minutes later, but, with the Blue Square Premier side having so many men up for the corner, Dale managed to break away through Doherty who set up Higginbotham who hit his low shot just wide of Jones’ net. 

There were then a period of play where we once again saw a bit of handbags from a Non-League team after Evans was booked for what I can only describe as an Evans-esque challenge. 

Victoria’s Jonny Allan took exception to that and delighted the home support by crunching Evans soon later, with the home support making more noise after Allan’s tackle than they did after both goals put together. 

And ten minutes before half time, Northwich finally made the breakthrough when midfielder Byrom picked up the ball from a quickly taken corner and curled his effort past Grundy from outside of the box. 

The goal scorer then picked up the second booking of the day for another crunching tackle, this time on winger Doherty.

And just before half time, referee Mr Handley saw fit to hand out another yellow card, this time to Northwich’s number 6 for another late tackle on Dagnall. 

Half time saw Dino Maamria make multiple changes to his side whilst Dale only made the one change, with the ineffective, transfer-listed, Ben Muirhead being replaced by Adam Le Fondre.

Also during the break, a mobile phone missing Dale_Iain kindly put some scouting in for the website and found out who the trialist left back is called.

The second half of the match saw Dale finding a bit more time and space around the pitch with Kyle Lambert picking out Doherty with an excellent 30 odd yard pass across the pitch, with Doherty crossing to Alfie who couldn’t quite get his effort on target. 

Alfie came close again when he had a header cleared off the line and the impressive Kyle Lambert forced a smart save from substitute goalkeeper Scott Tynan. 

But despite Dale’s much improved start, it were Northwich who broke away after a smart touch by striker Jonny Allan who put through one of Maamria’s substitutes who sprinted through, returning the ball to Allan who finished with ease to make it 2-0 and pretty much game over from that point. 

Dale forced a couple of saves out of Tynan shortly after through Dagnall, with midfielders Lambert and Toner too testing the Northwich goalkeeper. 

But it were Victoria, who looked a threat every time they broke out of their half, who came close with Toner blocking a definite goal whilst Grundy brought down a Northwich substitute in the box, conceding a penalty, despite the Victoria player clearly not being in control of the ball. 

The penalty was hit low, to Grundy’s right hand side, with the trialist saving it with ease. Despite a few half chances each for the likes of Dagnall and Toner, there were nothing else really to talk about from the second half. 

Dale’s man of the match for me was Ciaran Toner who looked arguably Dale’s most likeliest threat to Victoria whilst also putting a long shift at the back preventing two goal bound efforts too.   

Northwich Victoria: Jones (Tynan 45), Sutton (Aspin 45), Welch, Roberts (Bailey 45), Brown (Sutton 59), Byrne, Flynn, Byrom (Williams 45), Mullan (Burns 73), Stamp (Martins 64*), Allan. 

*Substitute Martins replaced by Mullan on 76. 

Rochdale AFC: Grundy, Ramsden, D’Laryea, Evans, Nicholas, Muirhead (Le Fondre 45), Toner, Lambert, Doherty, Dagnall, Higginbotham.

Photo: Action Images

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